Highlights
- •Bacterial DNA is detected in human atherosclerotic plaques.
- •Bacterial composition is similar in plaques from asymptomatic and symptomatic patients.
- •Bacterial composition is similar in different plaque regions.
- •Plaque vulnerability is not explained by differences in bacterial DNA.
Abstract
Background and aims
Several studies have confirmed the presence of bacterial DNA in atherosclerotic plaques,
but its contribution to plaque stability and vulnerability is unclear. In this study,
we investigated whether the bacterial plaque-profile differed between patients that
were asymptomatic or symptomatic and whether there were local differences in the microbial
composition within the plaque.
Methods
Plaques were removed by endarterectomy from asymptomatic and symptomatic patients
and divided into three different regions known to show different histological vulnerability:
A, upstream of the maximum stenosis; B, site for maximum stenosis; C, downstream of
the maximum stenosis. Bacterial DNA composition in the plaques was determined by performing
454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA genes, and total bacterial load was determined
by qPCR.
Results
We confirmed the presence of bacterial DNA in the atherosclerotic plaque by qPCR analysis
of the 16S rRNA gene but observed no difference (n.s.) in the amount between either
asymptomatic and symptomatic patients or different plaque regions A, B and C. Unweighted
UniFrac distance metric analysis revealed no distinct clustering of samples by patient
group or plaque region. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from 5 different phyla
were identified, with the majority of the OTUs belonging to Proteobacteria (48.3%)
and Actinobacteria (40.2%). There was no difference between asymptomatic and symptomatic
patients, or plaque regions, when analyzing the origin of DNA at phylum, family or
OTU level (n.s.).
Conclusions
There were no major differences in bacterial DNA amount or microbial composition between
plaques from asymptomatic and symptomatic patients or between different plaque regions,
suggesting that other factors are more important in determining plaque vulnerability.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: June 08, 2017
Accepted:
June 7,
2017
Received in revised form:
June 5,
2017
Received:
November 14,
2016
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.